Marked

Title: Marked
Author: by P.C and Kristin Cast
Published: May 2007
ISBN: 9780312360269
Price: 8.95 (paperback)
Other books in the series: Betrayed, Chosen, Untamed, Hunted, Tempted, Burned, Awakened, Destined, Hidden
Genre: fiction, fantasy
Reading Level: 6th grade
Interest Level: 9th-12th grade
Summary: Zoey Redbird has been marked, signifying that she has been chosen to be a vampyre. She is sent to the House of Night, a school for fledglings; those on their way to becoming adult vampyres. Zoey quickly learns that things at a vampyre school are different. First she must now live away from her family and her friends which is a struggle for Zoey. Zoey also stands out at her new school because she did not receive the normal outline of a crescent moon when she was marked. Instead Zoey has a filled in crescent moon which signifies that Zoey is more powerful. Zoey has also been chosen by the goddess Nyx to be her eyes and ears. This puts Zoey at odds with the jealous Dark Daughters, an elite group at The House of Night. Thankful for Zoey she manges to make a few friends at school. Zoey hopes that she can not only live up to the expectations of Nyx but to navigate the drama that goes with high school.
Review: In a very saturated vampire story market it's hard to make a story that stands out. This story adds in a unique twist of having humans and vampires co-existing. There is also the combination of magic and Native American folklore in the story that gives it a bit of a unique edge. While the story does present vampires with a bit of a twist the rest of the book feels very much like a guilty pleasure high school drama read. There is a lot of pop culture references and slang talk that can sometimes be a bit annoying. The story is a quick and easy read that while appeal to teen vampire fans.
Reader's Annotation: Zoey has been marked and is on her way to becoming a vampyre. But now Zoey must balance high school drama and becoming a vampyre.
Main themes: friendship, identity, vampires, high school, romance
Bibliotheraputic Usefulness: Zoey stands out because of she unusually powerful for a fledgling, so this brings about some jealousy. Zoey has to rely on her friends when she becomes the victim of nasty bullying by the Dark Daughters. Teens girls will connect with Zoey's struggle to fit and and find friends at her new school.
Issues: The book deals with vampires, the occult, magic, spells and goddesses. The book also has some  descriptive sexual situations. There is one seen in which Zoey says she thought another girl was giving a male student a blow job. This type of language and sexualization of teens might upset some.
Book Talk Ideas: This book is like a high school drama with vampires. By using those themes and ideas in the book talk it will bring in the reader that will really get into this series.
Author Website: http://www.pccast.net/
Read Alikes: Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz
Professional Reviews: Publisher's Weekly
Why chose this book? The series is very popular with teens and has had its fair share of controversy. The book has been banned from many schools and libraries because of it's content. While the series is not one of my favorites I thought it was important to venture outside of my comfort zone.